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He Built His Own Backyard Roller Coaster
Not too many people know how to have fun like John Ivers of Vincennes, Ind., who built a roller coaster in his own back yard. It measures 180 ft. long, 20 ft. high, and goes up and over the barn behind his home.
"I call it the Blue Flash because I got a deal on some blue enamel paint. It runs at a top speed of
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He Built His Own Backyard Roller Coaster AG WORLD 26-4-21 Not too many people know how to have fun like John Ivers of Vincennes, Ind., who built a roller coaster in his own back yard. It measures 180 ft. long, 20 ft. high, and goes up and over the barn behind his home.
"I call it the Blue Flash because I got a deal on some blue enamel paint. It runs at a top speed of 25 mph. I built it for me and my grandkids to play on," says Ivers, who started work in early 1999 and completed the project last year.
The roller coaster is powered by an electric motor that powers a chain-drive lift at the base of the barn. It takes the rider up to the top of the barn, which is the crest of the first drop that leads to a 360-degree corkscrew. From there the rider zig zags for a while before coming to a stop.
Most parts used in construction were scrap metal that he scrounged at work. The seat is off an old Ford Escort.
Ivers couldn't find any plans or blueprints for a do-it-yourself roller coaster, so he did the design work himself.
His creation was a fairly well-kept secret in southwestern Indiana until roller-coaster enthusiasts Paul and Carrie Drabek spotted it while driving down U.S. 41. They pulled into Ivers' driveway, knocked on the door and asked to take photos, which they posted on a Website (www.geocities.com/negativeg2002). The photos changed everything.
The roller coaster was featured on NBC's Today show this spring. And on April 1, Ivers received a call from a producer for TV's "Ripley's Believe It or Not". He had seen the roller coaster on the Website and wanted to feature it on the show. The segment will air in August or September.
Ivers is now building a second roller coaster inside the barn. It'll be bigger, heavier, faster and taller than the original. But the biggest difference will be that individual sections will bolt together (the first model is welded together), for ease of assembly and disassembly.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, John Ivers, 6384 S. 6th Street Rd., Vincennes, Ind. 4759. Photos courtesy Paul Drabek (www.negative-g.net)
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